A New Beginning
by andersonblaine
Summary: Blaine transfers to McKinley and has to get used to school without the safety of Dalton. Angst and fluff. Reviews are appreciated! Reuploaded from old account.
1. Chapter 1

Kurt Hummel walked up the concrete staircase in front of William McKinley High School, thinking about how great it was to finally be back from summer break. He smiled as he spotted Mercedes and Sam near the doors, happy to see that they were still together. He saw them holding hands at the Lima Bean the day after they got back from Nationals, but for a few weeks, he and Blaine were the only ones who knew. Finally, during the last days of the school year, the two went public. Needless to say, the glee club was ecstatic for them.

Kurt ran over to the couple. "Mercedes! Sam!" As soon as Mercedes saw him, she gave him a hug. She was Kurt's best friend at school. He and Sam simply exchanged smiles. Glancing between the two, he asked, "How are you guys?"

"Great," Sam replied.

"Fabulous," Mercedes said to him. "This year is going to kick ass. Ready for our first Glee club meeting as seniors?"

"Yes!" Kurt said, clapping his hands together. He had so many new ideas – including a solo or two - for this year that he couldn't wait to share with Mr. Schue and the others.

The three of them walked inside together, down the hallways and into the choir room. Even though they were fifteen minutes early, they were the last to arrive. Kurt dropped his bag on the ground and rushed to meet his friends. Rachel was already walking towards him. Near the piano, he saw Brittany, Santana, and Quinn talking, and in a corner were the rest of the club: Puck, Sam, Finn, Tina, Lauren, Mike, and Artie. He saw Mr. Schue hand Brad a few pages of sheet music.

This room was like his home away from home. He always felt safe here when he couldn't in the hallways. When he was being bullied by Karofsky, he would often come here and play the piano, sing, or just sit and read or think, just to get away from it all. He felt the same sense of security now, surrounded by his closest friends, the people who have helped him through so much. Kurt didn't want to accept the fact that they only had a year left together.

"Hey Kurt!" Rachel grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the center of the room, where the entire club had now gathered. He was instantly greeted with hugs, "hey"s, and pats on the shoulder.

Kurt said hello to the group. Even though they had seen a lot of each other over the summer, it seemed like they were closer when they were here.

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. A new text from Blaine. _Good morning. How's your first day of senior year going?_

Kurt smiled down at his phone. _I'm in glee club now. It's great to be back. You? _Coincidentally, today was the first day of school at Dalton, too.

Blaine replied within a few seconds. _Okay. Wish you were here, though. I miss you. How does coffee after school sound?_

_Of course, _Kurt typed. _See you later. I love you._

His phone vibrated one last time before he turned back to his friends. _I love you, too._  
His friends chatted about their summers for a few minutes before Mr. Schuester told them to sit down, cueing the beginning of the meeting.

"Welcome back, everybody!" The glee club erupted into cheers. "I hope you all had a great summ-"

"Mr. Schue, if I may?" Rachel's voice interrupted him and she stepped in front of the piano before the teacher could say a word. "We have to work hard this year. Nationals are in Chicago and if we want to win first place, we need to start practicing as soon as possible." The brunette pulled a piece of notebook paper from her sweater's pocket. "Over the summer, I made a list of the songs I would like to have the club perform this year. Of course, most of the solos and duets are mine and Finn's, but I also made room for a couple of other performances to showcase other talent. At Sectionals, I was hoping we could open with-"

Mr. Schue let out a sigh. "Guys, it's only the first day of school. Don't worry about anything right now. We can talk Sectionals and everything tomorrow." With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the meeting before it had technically even started. The New Directions pulled their chairs closer to each other and talked about vacations, concerts, and, for Puck, hook-ups. Rachel tried to get the team back into discussing setlists, but ended up storming out of the room.

* * *

Kurt took one more look around his locker, making sure he didn't forget anything when he redecorated it. He had just finished putting his books inside when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Excuse me?"

He turned around and gasped in surprise. There was Blaine, standing in front of him, dressed in a simple black t-shirt and jeans. In his hand was a class schedule, and a dark red messenger bag was draped over his shoulder.

"Can I ask you a question? I'm new here." Blaine said, smirking.

"Blaine!" Kurt threw his arms around his boyfriend. "What are you doing here?" He was happy to see Blaine, but he should really be at his own school. Unless...

_Oh._

"I transferred," he said, as if he couldn't believe it himself. "Here. To McKinley."

"But... Why?" They had talked about Blaine transferring to McKinley before, but Kurt had no idea that he was actually considering it.

The look on Blaine's face told him that the answer to his question was obvious. "What about the Warblers? And your parents?"

"Kurt, Dalton is a long drive away. You and I both know how much we both hated seeing each other less last year. So I asked my parents if I could come here, and they said yes. It didn't take much to convince them, considering how much cheaper it is to go here compared to Dalton. I told them about you and Karofsky, and what everyone in Glee club did for you. I think that's what convinced them that I'd still be safe here. My aunt lives just outside of Lima, and she told me I can stay at her place for a while." Blaine said, beaming. "As for the Warblers, of course I'll miss them, but they understood."

Kurt nodded. "So...does this mean you're joining New Directions?"

"How can I not?" Blaine answered. Kurt took his hands, grinning from ear to ear. "You're going to love it. There's a meeting after school." As the first bell rang, he asked, "What's your first class?"

Blaine unfolded his schedule. Surprised, he said, "Spanish with Mr. Schue."

Kurt let out a squeal. "Mine too! I can't wait for you to meet Mr. Schue. Come on." They walked towards the South end of the school together. As they turned the corner, Kurt saw Azimio stare at them as he walked by. "Hey, fag," he shouted to Kurt. The larger boy shoved him, not very hard but hard enough to push him into Blaine, who stumbled but quickly regained his balance. Pointing to Blaine, Azimio added, "Who's that, your new boyfriend?"

Kurt stood in front of Blaine protectively. Linking his and Blaine's fingers together, Kurt said, "Yep. He is. And if you have a problem with that, you can come to me about it. But I swear to God, Azimio, if you lay as much as a _finger_ on him, I will make sure you never step foot in this school again." He turned away, not loosening his grip on Blaine's hand.

Azimio was silent for a few seconds. But as he turned the corner, he heard "Have fun singing your show tunes together!" Kurt ignored it. You would think that after two years of harassing the glee club, he would come up with some better insults. Blaine stared at his boyfriend in shock.

They stopped outside of the classroom. "I'm sorry about that," Kurt said.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it, okay?" Blaine replied, holding both of Kurt's hands now. "It doesn't bother me anymore. You don't have to threaten to get people expelled just to protect me. I'll be okay."

"But it's your first day here, and-"

Blaine interrupted him, his voice down to a whisper. He pressed his forehead to Kurt's. There weren't many classrooms in this hallway, so they were alone except for a few students grabbing books from their lockers or running to class. "Hey. I came here knowing that I would have to deal with this kind of stuff. After Dalton, it'll take a while to get used to, but I'll be fine. I won't let them get to me. To _us._"

Kurt felt tears stinging his eyes, but held them back. They were a minute or two early to class, so Kurt walked to Mr. Schue's desk first.

"Mr. Schue?" His teacher looked up from his paperwork. "I'd like to introduce you to Blaine. He just transferred here from Dalton. Blaine, Mr. Schue." He looked back and forth from the two of them.

Mr. Schue held out his hand, and Blaine shook it. "Nice to meet you," his teacher said, and Blaine smiled and nodded in return. "Will you be joining glee club?"

"I would love to, if it's not too much trouble," Blaine said.

"Of course not. We're always welcome to new members. Just stop by the choir room after school." Blaine thanked him and was assigned the empty seat next to Kurt.

Kurt had always found Spanish easy. Somehow, the words just rolled off his tongue after repeating them only once or twice. Blaine, who had taken French at Dalton, was having trouble. Throughout the class, he had jotted down notes, written down vocabulary words (and their pronunciations and definitions), and quietly tried to say each word or sentence correctly. By the end of the class, he had already scribbled over five pages of notes. Kurt's notebook, on the other hand, was empty except for a page of doodles he had absentmindedly drawn. He looked down at the heart-covered paper and closed it, embarrassed, before Blaine could see it. Luckily, when he looked next to him, his boyfriend was still writing.

The rest of the day passed by fairly quickly. Although Spanish was the only class Kurt and Blaine had together besides lunch, they often passed by each other in the hallways, sharing smiles and brushing hands. At lunch, they sat with Mike and Tina. While Kurt informed Tina of the latest fashion trends, Blaine and Mike bonded over talking about sports, mainly football.

When the final bell rang at three o' clock, Kurt and Blaine met outside the choir room and walked inside together. "Don't be nervous," Kurt whispered to him as they entered. "They'll love you."

By now, everyone knew about Blaine's transfer, and he already felt welcome here. At the beginning of the meeting, he raised his hand. "Mr. Schue? I've prepared a number, if you want me to audition..." he said.

A few chairs away from him, Finn said, "Dude, we've all heard you sing before. You don't really have to audition." Quickly, he added, "Not that you can't, because you totally can if you want to but you don't have to and if you just wanna..." he caught himself rambling and sat back in his chair awkwardly.

"If you have something, Blaine, feel free to sing it." Mr. Schue told him, walking to the side of the room. Blaine got out of his chair. "I'd like to use the piano, if that's alright?" Brad glared at him but stood up from his bench. Blaine tried to give him an apologetic smile, but the piano player still looked displeased.

"I'd like to dedicate this song to Kurt," he said, looking at his boyfriend before beginning to play the song. Kurt recognized the melody and smiled as Blaine started to sing softly.

_You think I'm pretty  
Without any makeup on  
You think I'm funny  
When I tell the punchline wrong  
I know you get me  
So I let my walls come down, down_

Kurt had to admit, this slower, more emotional cover was better than the original and even the Warblers' version. Or maybe he was just thinking that because it's Blaine, his boyfriend who was perfect and dedicated this song to him and who he loved more than anything in the world.

...Yeah, maybe he was a little biased.

_Before you met me  
I was all right, but things were kinda heavy  
You brought me to life  
Now every February, you'll be my valentine, valentine_

His voice became a little louder as he reached the song's bridge. The piano's mellow tune echoed throughout the otherwise quiet room as Blaine closed his eyes.

_Let's go all the way tonight  
No regrets, just love  
We can dance until we die  
You and I,  
We'll be young forever_

Kurt was grinning from ear to ear now. He couldn't help it. This was the song that Blaine sang when they met. Kurt only went to Dalton to spy on the Warblers, but he ended up walking away with so much more than details about the competition. He met Blaine on that staircase, and it was love at first sight. There was something about him that Kurt still couldn't understand, but it made him fall in love with Blaine instantly. He looked out for him when he was being bullied, even though they had only known each other for a few days. Blaine had been looking out for Kurt from the beginning in a way that no one else has ever done before, because Blaine understood. He knew what Kurt was going through. He was there for Kurt since day one, and Kurt was there for him. And when Kurt transferred to Dalton, where he was finally safe, Blaine continued to help him. He helped him fit in. He helped him with his audition for a solo at Sectionals, and when he didn't get it, Blaine comforted and encouraged him.

And then, when Blaine proposed to the Warblers for Kurt to sing a duet with him at Regionals, when Blaine found him alone, decorating Pavarotti's casket, when Blaine took a seat next to him and told him what Kurt had been waiting to hear for so long, when finally, _finally _they kissed...

That was when Kurt knew.

That was when Kurt knew that he loved Blaine, and Blaine loved him back. That was when he knew that nothing could ever tear them apart. That was when he knew that Blaine was perfect for him. That was when he knew that he had been waiting for this, this moment, when Blaine's lips were locked to his and nothing had ever felt so right in all his life. That was when he knew they were meant to be.

Blaine had helped him in ways no one else has, and Kurt had no idea how he could ever repay him.

_You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream  
The way you turn me on  
I can't sleep  
Let's run away and don't ever look back, don't ever look back_

Kurt never took his eyes off of Blaine as he sang, not even when Mercedes elbowed him jokingly at the "turn me on" line.

_My heart stops when you look at me  
Just_ _one touch, now baby, I believe  
This is real  
So take a chance and don't ever look back, don't ever look back_

Blaine opened his eyes. He glanced down at the piano for a moment, and then looked back up at Kurt sitting across the room. A tiny smile formed on his lips. He continued playing the piano. Whether it was for a minute or an hour, Kurt couldn't tell. But eventually the music ended, and for only a few seconds was everything quiet before the room burst into applause. Blaine stood and Kurt, speechless, hopped out of his chair and tried not to sprint over to his boyfriend, failing miserably. He planted a sweet, chaste kiss on Blaine's lips.

"That was amazing," Kurt told him, taking his hand. "Thank you."

Mr. Schue walked over to them with a smile on his face. "Well, Blaine, I think it's unanimous," he said. "Welcome to glee club."


	2. Chapter 2

Later that night, Blaine was sitting in the Hummel-Hudson living room watching football with Burt, Finn, and Kurt (whose eyes were on not the TV, but his boyfriend). They had invited him over for dinner, and he had kindly accepted. He admired how close this family was. When there were family dinners at his house, it was awkward to say the least. His father never accepted him for who he was, and after many failed attempts to – quite literally - "straighten him out," he had just stopped talking to him. His mother, on the other hand, was just kind of neutral. She didn't ignore him, but his father always glared at her if she dared asking Blaine if he had met any boys at school. Their few mother/son moments took place while his dad was at work, and she was the one to convince his father to let him transfer to McKinley.

He was happy that Kurt was lucky, though. Burt and Carole (and Finn) accepted him. Burt should probably be nominated for Father of the Year or some kind of award.

"Come on!" Burt yelled at the television just then. _"He was open!"_

Next to him, Kurt rose from the sofa. "I'm gonna go see how dinner's going." He stumbled over Finn's feet and walked into the kitchen, where Carole was cooking spaghetti over the stove.

Kurt's stepmother turned around. "Hey, honey. How's the game going?"

"To be honest, I have no idea," he replied, and Carole laughed. "Need help with dinner?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind." When Kurt shook his head, she continued, "Can you find the marinara sauce? I think it's in the pantry somewhere."

Kurt easily found the jar and set it on the counter. Behind Carole, Kurt saw Blaine, eyes glued to the television. He was so beautiful, Kurt could hardly stand it. Suddenly, Blaine turned his head and caught him staring. Kurt, however, wasn't quick to look away.

Carole must have seen the little exchange between the two boys, because her eyes moved from the living room to Kurt. She gave Kurt a smile, opening the jar of sauce.

"How are things with you two? Is everything good?" She asked.

"Everything's great," Kurt replied. Then, realizing great was a huge understatement, he said, "Perfect, actually."

"Perfect, huh? That's really nice to hear, Kurt. You two seem...right. And he's a good kid."

Kurt smiled. He loved that his parents loved Blaine.

"I just wanted to make sure he wasn't...forcing you into anything..."

"No! Not at all. Don't worry."

Kurt was itching to tell Carole about Blaine's transfer. They wanted to keep it a surprise until dinner, but it was almost dinner, right? The pasta was pretty much done, and...

His voice dropped to a whisper. "Carole, if I tell you something, can you keep it a secret until dinner?"

With a confused look on her face, his stepmother responded. "Of course, honey. What is it?"

"BlainetransferredtoMcKinley!" Kurt blurted out so fast Carole almost didn't catch it. But it sunk in after a moment, and she realized what he had just said and grinned.

"He did?"

Kurt nodded. "Uh-huh. He already joined Glee club too. This year is going to be _great."_ When she asked questions,Kurt filled her in on everything.

When he was finished, Carole asked, "So you two are really serious?"

Kurt smiled reassuringly. He knew what she was asking. She was asking, _What if something happens between you and Blaine?_

"Mom – I-I mean Carole-" Embarrassed, Kurt blushed at the slip. He considered Carole his mother, but, worried that it would make her uncomfortable, had never called her it before.

"Call me Mom." she said with a warm smile on her face.

"Mom..." Kurt beamed as he tried to find the right words. "I love him. More than anything. And he loves me. I honestly can't think of anyone more perfect than him. We've talked about the future, we know what we're going to do after graduation. And when I'm with him, it just feels...perfect. Like it was meant to be." He finished talking and waited for Carole's response. Did she think he was naïve? What if she thought he was just another one of those teenagers who were "blinded by love" or whatever they called it?

She set the bowl of pasta on the large wood table. "Well..."

Oh god, that's probably it. And he sounded so corny-

She grabbed a stack of plates. "It sounds real to me." Carole winked at Kurt before calling out to the living room, telling the group that dinner was ready.

* * *

The next day at school, things ran a little more smoothly. While Azimio, Karofsky, and a few of the other football players threw hateful looks at them, they didn't say anything out loud.

Burt had been happy when they had told him about Blaine's transfer at dinner, although he did throw in a few subtle hints basically telling Blaine, "Break my son's heart and I'll break your leg," which Blaine understood. He told Kurt's father that he would never do anything to hurt him, and it seemed to be enough for Burt.

Now, in the hallway, Blaine was standing at Kurt's locker with two cups of coffee in his hands, waiting for him to come from Trigonometry. When his boyfriend approached his locker, he held out one of the cups. "One grande non fat mocha for my amazing boyfriend." He kissed Kurt on the cheek.

The brunette smiled and took the cup. "Thanks," he said with a smile.

Blaine heard a voice behind him.

"Well hey there, Porcelain. Triangles."

He turned around to face Sue Sylvester. "Triangles?" Kurt had told him about Sue. He had said that while she would call him nicknames, she did that to everyone and she was actually kind of nice to him when he was being bullied by Karofsky.

"That's right. Your eyebrows are probably like the Bermuda Triangle. I bet there's tiny little trolls lost in there, unable to escape because of all that hair. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I'm sorry, Sue, but do you want?" Kurt said.

"Nothing, I had just heard that Triangles here had decided to transfer over to McKinley." Turning back to Blaine, she added, "So I thought I would let you know that I have a list of the songs that you've sang back at Dalton that would just be a disgrace to sing here." She pulled a piece of paper from her track suit jacket's pocket. "One: Bills, Bills, Bills. Now, I don't know who's idea that was, but whoever it was should probably be locked up in some kind of institution in the middle of no where for having the worst taste in music I've ever seen. And that's saying something coming from this school. Number two-"

"Goodbye, Sue." Kurt pulled Blaine's arm and walked in the opposite direction. At the end of the hallway, Kurt said, "Now you've officially met Sue Sylvester."

Blaine had a smirk on his face. "I know she was being insulting, but for some reason I find it hilarious."

"Well, by the end of the week, she'll probably have you cracking up." Kurt laughed.

Suddenly, Blaine was hit with a blast of ice, and it took the breath out of him.

"Welcome to McKinley, _lady._"

He stood still, frozen, in the middle of the hallway and wondered what the hell just happened. Then he tasted grape on his lips and looked down at his red polo shirt, which was now a dark shade of purple. He felt the sweet liquid drip down his face.

"Oh, god," Kurt said, next to him. "Come on." He pushed him towards the nearest bathroom. The one or two boys who had been in there cleared out when they walked in.

Kurt started running warm water. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Definitely...awake."

His boyfriend sighed. "Come here." He put a finger in the water to check the temperature. "There really is no sanitary way to do this. Just put your head under the faucet."

Blaine hesitantly did so, wiping his stinging eyes. Kurt ran his hands through his hair, letting clumps of purple ice fall down the drain.

"Well, today was...eventful," Kurt said. "Your first run-in with Sue and your first slushie all in about five minutes. Impressive."

Blaine chuckled under the running water. "Might as well get it all over with at once, huh?"

After at least ten minutes, most of the slushie had come out of Blaine's hair, and they were left with a ruined outfit and a stained sink. Kurt took a look at Blaine and couldn't help but giggle. His hair gel had washed out, leaving him with curls falling in every which direction around his face. It was what Kurt imagined Blaine had looked like when he was a child.

Blaine took one look in the mirror and turned red. "Oh my god..."

"I'm surprised you don't keep an extra bottle of gel in your bag or something." Kurt smiled at him. "Although if you ask me, you should skip the gel more often." He pulled a brown paper towel from the dispenser and started dabbing Blaine's face with it. "It's...cute."

Blaine replied with a small, shy grin. "I love you." He pulled Kurt into a soft, loving kiss; the brunette responded by deepening it. Blaine's arms wound around Kurt's waist, pulling him closer. Kurt's hands went to his boyfriend's face as he opened his mouth and let Blaine's tongue find his.

It was a few short minutes later when the bell rang and they finally pulled apart, both of them gasping for air but eager to close the small amount of space between them.

"I love you, too," Kurt panted, his lips brushing against Blaine's. _Fuck breathing,_ Blaine thought as his lips collided with Kurt's again.

It wasn't until much later, when the bell rang once more to signal the end of class, that they left the bathroom.

"You know, we should really skip class more often," Blaine whispered into Kurt's ear as they stepped into the noisy hallway.


	3. Chapter 3

"Alright, guys. With about two weeks until Sectionals, I think it's time we started talking about setlists."

"Finally!" Rachel sighed, throwing her hands up in the air.

Mr. Schue grabbed sheet music from the piano. "I was looking around online yesterday, and I found this _amazing _Journey song-" There was a simultaneous groan from the glee club.

"What's wrong with Journey?"

"Mr. Schue, with all due respect, we're tired of Journey. We did that for Regionals. I think we should do something more modern." Kurt said.

Blaine sat up straighter. "How about Katy P-"

"Oh, hell to the no," Mercedes argued, and the entire room burst into a jumbled chorus of suggestions.

Mr. Schue shouted over their voices and regained their attention. "Enough, guys. Rachel and Finn are doing the opening number. That's final."

Barely audible from the back row of chairs, Santana commented "Because that's gone well before."

Twenty minutes of discussion later, it was decided. Their opening number would be Set Fire to the Rain by Adele (Tina's suggestion) followed by Sing by My Chemical Romance (Mr. Schue's suggestion – since they never got to sing it at Regionals).

* * *

The past few days have been good for Kurt and Blaine. Neither of them had gotten slushied again (the football teams' target seemed to be Rachel this week) and each day there seemed to be less insults scoffed at them. It was already the end of Blaine's second week at McKinley and he seemed to have gotten the hang of things. Everything was going considerably well, especially with sectionals coming up.

Kurt pulled his cardigan tighter around himself as he stepped outside into the school parking lot. He made a mental note to bring a heavier jacket tomorrow after looking up at the sky. It was chilly outside, no sunlight in sight, and it looked as if it was going to rain soon. The gloomy weather was supposed to continue throughout the weekend.

"Coffee?" Blaine asked beside him, already knowing the answer.

Kurt nodded and started towards Blaine's shiny black Mercedes. They had made a habit of carpooling since Kurt's house was on the way to McKinley. He pulled the door open and climbed in the passenger's seat, breathing in that 'new car smell' that Blaine's car seemed to always have, even though he had bought it a year ago.

He stuffed his bag in the backseat when Blaine got in. He gave Kurt a kiss on the cheek and turned on the radio. Kurt blushed wildly. Little things like that still made his heart skip a beat and the butterflies in his stomach flutter uncontrollably.

Silence fell between the two as they drove the couple of miles to the Lima Bean. One of Blaine's hands were on the steering wheel, the other holding Kurt's hand. When they came to a stop at a red light a couple of blocks away from the coffee shop, Blaine turned to his boyfriend. "I want to take you on a date."

"What?" Kurt said, a little surprised. He and Blaine had never been on a real date before. Sure, they had gone to a few football games at McKinley, but usually Mercedes or Tina came with them. He guessed those couple of times they went to Breadstix counted as dates, but...

Knowing Kurt wouldn't let him take him somewhere over the top, Blaine quickly added, "Just...dinner and a movie. On me." He would save the larger things for their first anniversary.

Kurt smiled and squeezed his hand. "I would love to."

"Good, because I wasn't going to take no for an answer." Blaine laughed. "I'll pick you up tomorrow at seven." He leaned forward and kissed the brunette. Kurt pulled away for only a moment and sighed happily before diving in again, his hand going to Blaine's neck before resting on his shoulder. Suddenly, more than a few blaring horns from frustrated drivers pulled them apart, and they realized the light had turned green. The two boys exchanged a mischievous look, and Blaine decided to take his time moving back into the seat and stepping on the gas pedal. Kurt giggled and Blaine burst into laughter, almost losing control of the wheel so Kurt had to half-steer the car.

* * *

The next afternoon found Kurt throwing a mass of clothes from his closet onto his bed, rearranging them into different combinations. Gray sweater with black jeans, gray button-down shirt with black jeans, blue shirt under a white sweater with blue jeans...he threw them around, tried them on, added accessories, determined to find the perfect outfit for his and Blaine's date. He had no idea where they were going for dinner, and Blaine refused to tell him anything. Was it a fancy place? Would he be underdressed? Overdressed?

Over an hour later, he finally decided on a gray vest under a white button-down with black skinny jeans. It took another half hour to make sure his hair looked okay. He went downstairs to find Burt and Carole in the kitchen and Finn in the living room.

"Hey, Kurt," Burt told him as he crossed the room. "You okay with pizza tonight?"

"Actually, I'm going on a date with Blaine," Kurt told him. "...If that's okay?"

"Yeah, sure," his father replied. He figured he didn't need to give him The Talk 2.0 tonight because those pants were practically painted to his legs. "Just don't stay out too late, alright?"

"Thanks, dad." Turning to Carole, he asked, "How do I look?"

"Handsome. Have fun tonight."

He looked at the clock. 6:45. Had he really taken that long to decide what to wear? Last time he checked, it had been around 4:30.

After a minute or two, Burt went to watch a college basketball game with Finn and Carole ordered pizza. Just as she hung up, there was a loud _honk_ from their driveway.

Kurt all but ran out the door. "ThereheisI'llbehomebytenseeyoulaterbye!" And he was gone, leaving the Hummel-Hudson staring at the closed door in shock.

* * *

Kurt climbed into his boyfriend's car and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Hey."

"Hey," Blaine said, leaning in for another kiss. But since they were right in front of his house, where his father could be (and probably was) watching, Kurt pulled away a lot sooner than he would have liked.

The ride to the movie theater was comfortably silent, one of the boys occasionally glancing at the other.

They quickly bought tickets to a romantic comedy – Blaine didn't like horror movies, and Kurt wasn't really a fan of action – and found a seat in the last row of the theater.

Kurt leaned into Blaine and rested his head on his shoulder, finally finding a comfortable spot in the barely-cushioned theater seat. He watched as a few more people entered the theater, careful to not attract attention to himself and Blaine, but no one seemed to notice them.

Kurt had to admit, the movie wasn't bad. But about halfway though an unbelievably cliché break up scene, he started to lose interest. Blaine, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying it.

After the movie, they headed to Breadstix. When they arrived, they found that there was a line.

The two boys tried to ignore the looks from the other customers as they waited, fingers intertwined. Most of them kept silent. A few scoffed at them. As far as Kurt and Blaine were concerned, none of it mattered.

They were almost to the front of the line when a middle-aged woman with dark brown hair wrapped in a tight bun came up to them, her lips a thin pink line.

"You two should be ashamed of yourselves," she spat. "You _fags_ are a disgrace to our country. You're going to-"

She stopped mid-sentence, because just then Blaine wrapped an arm around Kurt's waist and spun him around. His collided his mouth with Kurt's, bringing his hands to his boyfriend's face. After a few seconds Blaine felt Kurt relax a little bit. He had almost forgotten about the woman. A couple of moments later Kurt's hands came to rest on Blaine's hips, neither of them breaking apart for even a millisecond. Kurt felt himself beginning to feel lightheaded, but he barely even noticed. He couldn't think properly right now because Blaine was sliding his tongue into Kurt's mouth and he couldn't help but notice how perfect their bodies seemed to fit together, like they were born to be together.

Kurt was beginning to think he might pass out from lack of oxygen when Blaine finally pulled apart. For a few seconds they just stared at each other. Kurt fought to find words as he tried to catch his breath, but he couldn't even form a coherent sentence.

So he turned back around to see the woman still there with a disgusted look on her face. She, too, seemed speechless, for an entirely different reason. Finally, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the restaurant.

That was when they realized the rest of the restaurant had gone completely silent, all eyes fixed on the couple. Kurt simply turned back to Blaine with a smug smile on his face as the hostess informed them that their table was ready.


	4. Chapter 4

"So what did you guys do over the weekend?" Rachel asked Kurt and Blaine as the three walked down the hallway.

"Blaine took me on a date," Kurt replied. "It was...interesting." Blaine chuckled as Rachel gave Kurt a look that said _details later._

They walked into the choir room and sat down. "What about you?" Kurt asked.

"Nothing. My dads are away for their anniversary so I spent the entire weekend watching every musical I own in alphabetical order. I'm already on _Mamma Mia_."

"Your dads are away?" Puck said from a few chairs away. "Does this mean another party at your place tonight?"

"Absolutely not, Noah. Do you even remember last time?"

"No. I passed out in your front yard. All I remember from that night is you making out with Blazer Boy over here-"

"_Puck!"_ Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine all shot him a look that could kill, but Puck just smiled.

Kurt watched as Rachel took out her phone for what must be the twentieth time in the last five minutes. "Everything okay?"

"Finn isn't answering my texts. I don't know where he is."

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen him today either." Kurt was thinking about where his stepbrother could be when Rachel's phone rang. "It's him." She took the call and stepped outside of the room.

Right as Rachel walked out the door, Mr. Schue entered through the other one. "Alright guys. Get in your positions; we have to start practicing our group number for Sectionals." He looked around the room, confused. "Where's Finn and Rachel?"

"Guys, we have a huge emergency." As if on cue, Rachel stormed back into the room. "Finn has strep throat. His doctor says he can't sing for at least another week, maybe two."

"What?" The entire glee club erupted into a symphony of worries and complaints.

"What are we going to do?" Tina asked. "Sectionals is on Friday. He's our _lead!_"

"Guys!" Mr. Schue's voice rose above everyone else's. "Panicking isn't going to help us. We'll have to find someone else for the male lead. I know this is really short notice, but does anyone think they can have an audition ready by the end of the day?"

Only two hands went up: Puck and Blaine's. But as soon as Puck saw Blaine's hand raise, he lowered his own. When Mr. Schue looked at him, he shook his head and said, "No, let the Warbler have it. He's better with competition solos."

"Are you sure, Puck?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, really. We probably have a better chance of winning if you sing it."

Blaine looked surprised, but thanked Puck.

"Alright then. We really have to start working on this group number, so maybe you two can practice later?" Mr. Schue looked between Blaine and Rachel, who both nodded in agreement.

* * *

After the last class of the day, Kurt found Rachel at her locker. "Hey," he said. "So...about this duet-"

"Listen, Kurt. I know after what happened at my party last year you might be a little worried about Blaine and me singing a duet together. But you should know that it's all in the past. Me and Blaine...there's nothing. You two are happy together, and the last thing I would want to do is come between you."

Kurt exhaled. He had prepared a speech, but it seemed unnecessary now. Because he couldn't deny that when he heard about the duet, he got a bit nervous and – fine – maybe a little jealous. But he trusted Blaine. Not that he didn't trust Rachel, because he did. It was just that he trusted her a little less due to her determination to always be right and get what she wants.

So he nodded. "Thanks, Rachel."

Rachel smiled at him. "Now it's your turn to talk. You still haven't told me about your date with Blaine. It seemed pretty interesting..."

* * *

Later that day at the Lima Bean, Kurt and Blaine sat across from each other discussing school, homework, and eventually, glee club.

"When are you and Rachel gonna start practicing your duet?" Kurt asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

Blaine turned his cup in his hands. "I'm supposed to go to her house tonight. She invited me over for dinner with her dads." He looked up at his boyfriend. "...I know you might feel...uncomfortable after what happened with Rachel and me last year. But I just wanted to let you know that I'm 100% sure of who I am, and I love you, and I would never-"

"Blaine," the brunette in front of him interrupted. "I know. It's totally okay. I trust you." He gave his boyfriend a small smile. He pulled his hand from Blaine's coffee cup to Kurt's hand, smiling reassuringly at his boyfriend."And I love you too."

* * *

_I set fire to the rain,  
And I threw us into the flames  
Well, it felt something died  
'Cause I knew that was the last time, the last time_

Rachel and Blaine sang out the last words of the song, their voices echoing in the quiet, empty house. They had been practicing for almost an hour ("There's no such thing as too much practice," Rachel said), and Rachel's dads Hiram and Leroy left to pick up dinner – apparently Friday night Chinese takeout while watching The Sound of Music was a tradition of theirs.

"You're getting better," Rachel told him. "I think you can go a little higher on the chorus if you push yourself, though..."

Blaine knew not to take her bossing personally – he had gotten used to it by now. Sure, she can be a little irritating at times, but when it came down to it, Rachel was nice, and she seemed to really care about the glee club. Rachel even kind of reminded Blaine of himself when he was the lead soloist for the Warblers.

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. _New text from Kurt,_ the screen read.

_Having fun? _It read.

Blaine typed a reply telling Kurt they're (finally) almost done rehearsing and put his phone back in his pocket. When he looked up, he saw Rachel smiling at him. "So I heard about you and Kurt's date the other night..."

"Of course." Leave it to Kurt to tell Rachel the details of their dinner at Breadstix. Not that Blaine minded.

"I think it was great, what you did. I think you two could really make a difference, you know, change some people's minds. Especially in this little town."

Blaine wasn't sure that to say. Face turning pink, he concentrated on a stain on the carpet. "Uh...thanks, Rachel." He lifted his head to smile at the girl when they heard the front door open.

"Hello?" A voice called from downstairs. "Rachel?"

"Coming!" Rachel called down. Blaine followed her downstairs, where they found Hiram and Leroy sitting on the living room floor, pulling boxes of Chinese food out of plastic bags. "Hey guys," Leroy greeted them. He gestured to the carpet with a warm smile. "Blaine, have a seat. Help yourself."

So Blaine, Rachel, and her dads spent late into the night singing along to The Sound of Music, laughing, and praising Julie Andrew's acting (turns out she's another one of Rachel's idols, right below Barbra). Him and Rachel were getting along a lot better than he had expected. Hiram and Leroy treated him like their own son, which Blaine appreciated more than they knew. For the first time since he transferred, Blaine felt like he really could fit in in Lima.


	5. Chapter 5

"Sectionals, here we come!"

The bus full of teenagers burst into cheers and applause. This year, everything had gone smoothly. There were no drama or rumors or leaked set lists (the Cheerios were back on top of the cheerleading food pyramid, and they doubted Sue would want to ruin that). It was a welcome change.

Rachel shot up from her front row seat. "Okay, everyone, we need to warm up. Repeat after me..." And she led the group in a series of vocal exercises. The New Directions happily complied; they were in a confident, happy mood this morning. They were going to win this.

A couple rows back, Blaine nervously wriggled in his seat. Kurt comfortingly put his hand over Blaine's. "Don't be nervous. You'll be great."

Normally, Blaine wasn't nervous for competition solos. He'd had almost every one in the Warblers, and after a while it's almost like the crowd disappears and he's just dancing like an idiot in his bedroom. But this time he was singing with the New Directions, against the Warblers. He knew the Warblers were his friends and understood why he transferred, but they're still like his family, and he knew the chances of the two show choirs being tied again was extremely unlikely.

He still kept in touch with a lot of the Warblers, but they made a promise not to talk to each other about their glee clubs. They didn't want the fact that they were competitors to get in then way of their friendships. He wondered who'll be singing the solos today.

Blaine rested his head on Kurt's shoulder, letting the rise and fall of his boyfriend's shoulders calm him down. Kurt's hand still on his. They stayed that way, barely speaking, for the rest of the ride.

* * *

"And now, from Lima, Ohio, McKinley High's New Directions!" The announcer's voice blared from the speakers. Blaine looked over to Rachel, who nodded to him.

The New Directions were the second group to perform. The first group was a show choir from Richland who had nothing on what the McKinley group had planned. They were mediocre.

After the New Directions would be the Warblers. Blaine hadn't talked to them yet, but he hoped to catch them after their performance. He couldn't wait to see his friends again.

Rachel pushed the curtains aside and stepped into the auditorium full of people, a bright spotlight shining down on her.

_I let it fall, my heart_

_and as it fell, you rose to claim it._

_It was dark, and I was over,_

_until you kissed my lips and you saved me._

She turned her head to the next aisle, where Blaine appeared and another spotlight shined down.

_My hands, they were strong_

_but my knees were far too weak_

_to stand in your arms_

_without falling to your feet_

Rachel's voice filled the air again as she sang the song's bridge. She and Blaine slowly walked down the aisle, never losing eye contact.

_But there's a side to you that I never knew, never knew_

_all the things you'd say, they were never true, never true_

_and the games you'd play, you would always win, always win..._

Their voices finally came together for the chorus as they climbed the steps to the stage.

_But I set fire to the rain,_

_watched it pour as I touched your face._

_Let it burn while I cried_

_'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name._

Now standing in the middle of the stage, they turned to face the crowd.

_I set fire to the rain_

_and I threw us into the flames_

_Where I felt something die, 'cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time, oh..._

Rachel and Blaine belted out the last note of the chorus, drawing it out until they were out of breath. It resulted in a standing ovation from the audience. As the end of the song neared, the red curtain behind them rose to reveal the rest of the glee club.

_Oh, no_

_Let it burn, let it burn..._

By the time the song ended, both Blaine and Rachel were breathless. They turned to look at each other, and Rachel grinned as she hugged her duet partner. They both bowed before turning to join the others for the second number. Blaine saw Kurt wink at him as he walked up the steps to the back part of the stage.

Blaine spent the majority of the next song singing and dancing with his boyfriend, twirling him and making him laugh and smile throughout the entire number.

Blaine loved that smile, that smile he had just for him. He loved the way his teeth almost never showed and how his eyes crinkled. He loved everything about him. And the fact that Blaine is the reason he smiles like that makes him even happier.

* * *

After the New Directions, the Warblers did a fantastic cover of Bruno Mars's"Just the Way You Are," followed by "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz. It was clear that the winner of the competition would come down to them and the New Directions. Like they (hopefully) were, the Warblers' number was fun and energetic. It made you want to jump out of your seat and dance.

Blaine had stayed backstage when the rest of his glee club went back to their seats, watching the Warblers from the sidelines. He really did miss performing with them. Their "style" was completely different from the New Directions', with the way they moved and danced and sang.

"Great job out there," Blaine said backstage after their performance, coming up behind the group. They turned around and grinned upon seeing who the praise came from.

"Blaine!" They crowded around him, clapping him on the back and shoulders.

"Thanks, buddy." David pushed through the crowd of Warblers and finally stepped in front of Blaine. "You were good, too." He wrapped the group's former lead soloist in a quick hug. "We sure do miss you at Dalton."

The other Warblers agreed, nodding their heads. "I miss you guys, too," Blaine told them. "But McKinley is great. It really is."

"As long as you're happy." The Warblers gave him a big group hug. From a few feet away, Mr. Jackson, the musical director at Dalton, called them over. They pulled apart, calling out disappointed "awww"'s. When Mr. Jackson saw him, he nodded towards Blaine, who waved back.

"We'll have to see a movie or something together sometime. See you later, Blaine." David said to him as he walked away.

With a big smile on his face, Blaine watched his former glee club walk away.

* * *

The three glee clubs now stood on stage, waiting to hear the results.

When the head judge announced that neither the Warblers nor the New Directions were in third place, there was a simultaneous, audible exhale from the two groups. Blaine held Kurt's hand and used the other to wave at the Warblers next to him.

"And the winner of the 2011 Sectionals competition is..."

Everyone held their breath.

"The New Directions!"

McKinley's glee club burst into cheers. The Warblers looked disappointed but happy for the other team. Blaine hugged Kurt and Rachel before turning to the Warblers, who he simply shook hands with. "You guys were great. You really were."

Wes looked at him. "No, no, you guys deserve it! Congratulations, Blaine." Blaine smiled at them and turned back to the New Directions to celebrate.

* * *

When they returned to Lima, Mr. Schue treated the group with ice cream. Before anyone dug in to their cones and sundaes, Sam called for a toast. "For our win at sectionals, and – even though it's not for a while – here's to hoping that we win nationals this year. And that we make our last year here at McKinley worthwhile."

The students cheered and knocked their cones and dishes together. Kurt kissed Blaine on the cheek. Blaine put an arm around his waist and pulled him closer in response. After everyone was settled in a seat (they had to push the parlor's tables together so they could all sit together), they chatted about their performance. Compliments were repeatedly sent to Rachel and Blaine for their duet. Blaine accepted them humbly while Rachel beamed in reply.

"You guys were amazing. You killed that last note."

"We _so_ have to do Adele again for regionals."

"If we are, that solo is _mine._"

"You really were great, though," Kurt told Blaine as he scooped up another bite of his sundae. "Watching you up there...it made me feel so proud to be with you. You absolutely killed it."

"I love you so much." Blaine took hold of Kurt's cold hand. Their fingers entwined, Kurt sighed contentedly. Right here, with their friends in the glee club, was the one public place they could hold hands and kiss without fear of being judged or bullied. They knew the rest of the club had their backs. Inside or outside the choir room, with the New Directions was the one place, besides maybe Kurt's house, where they could be one hundred percent themselves.

So Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand and said, "I love you, too."


	6. Chapter 6

Before school on Monday morning, Finn appeared at Blaine's locker.

"Hey, Finn. Feeling better?" Blaine stuffed a few books in his bag and shut his locker. He stepped back so he wouldn't have to look up so much to meet Finn's eyes. It wasn't that Blaine was short; Finn was just a good six inches taller than him, and sometimes it made things awkward when they talked.

Finn smiled and nodded. "Yeah, much better. Thanks." He gripped the strap of his backpack to keep it from falling down. "I just wanted say thanks for filling in for me at Sectionals. From what I hear, you and Rachel kicked ass on that stage. The glee club couldn't have won without you."

"It was no problem. You were still missed, though."

"I wish I could have been there. At least I still have regionals and nationals to look forward to, right?"

"Definitely. And this year, we'll bring home the big trophy."

"Hell yeah, we will." He held up his fist, and Blaine smirked, bumping it with his own. After a few seconds, Finn continued, "Sorry to, uh, change the subject, but I just really need to say this because Kurt's my brother and I just...I look out for him, you know?" Blaine was confused, but nodded and let Finn speak. "So...I know you and Kurt are serious. I like you. I think you're really good for him. I'm trusting you not to hurt him or anything because you're his first boyfriend and I'd hate to see him get hurt."

"You have nothing to worry about, Finn. I love Kurt. I think we're pretty stable."

"Oh, okay. That's...that's good," he stammered. "Thanks again, Blaine." He walked away just as the first bell rang and a rush of students filled the hallway.

* * *

After school, Blaine had gotten into his car when he realized he left his English book in his locker. He ran back into the building to get it. The hallways were almost empty now; all the students had either gone home or to their extracurriculars. As Blaine turned the corner to go to his locker, he saw Dave Karofsky coming down the hallway and towards him. When he noticed Blaine, his face turned cold.

Blaine kept walking, trying to stay to the side and avoid eye contact with the jock. Karofsky, however, held his gaze. When Blaine got to his locker, he pushed him hard against it. There was another _bang_ as his head slammed against the metal.

"Listen, bitch," Karofsky's face was inches away from Blaine's, and his hand was to his throat. Blaine choked for air, trying to wrench Karofsky's hand away, but his efforts were fruitless. He had a steel grip against Blaine. "You think you can just come here and prance around the hallways with your fucking fairy boyfriend like you own the fucking place? You may wanna tone it down a little, or me and the rest of the team may have to do something about it. Got it?"

Blaine couldn't speak, so he nodded. "Good. I'm glad we're clear." Dave let go of Blaine and stepped back as he tried to breathe. Just when Blaine thought he would walk away, he stepped up to him again. Blaine's arms instinctively flew up to defend himself, but Karofsky only pushed him a bit. "And if you tell anybody about what I did to Kurt, trust me when I say you'll regret it." Blaine mustered up the courage to look him in the eye, and the look he saw on Karofsky's face made his blood run cold. The phrase "if looks could kill" came into Blaine's mind. But all Karofsky did was turn away and storm down the hallway, and Blaine was left shaking in both shock and horror.

* * *

When he got home, he went straight to his room and dialed Kurt's number on his cell phone. He answered on the first ring.

"Hey, Blaine."

"Kurt?" Blaine tried to sound calm, but he was breathing hard, and had begun pacing around his room.

"Yeah? What is it? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm...no, I'm not, actually."

"Do you want me to come over?"

"No, it's fine. I just need to talk to you."

"What's wrong?"

"After school, I went back to my locker to get my English book...and Karofsky came up to me."

"_What?_ Oh my God, Blaine, are you okay? What happened? Did he hurt you?"

"I-I'm fine. He told me we needed to stop 'prancing around the hallways' and tone it down or something. I just—it was just _terrifying. _The look on his face..." Blaine trailed off. "And he told me not to tell anyone about what he did to you. Like I was about to."

"Are you sure you're okay? I wish I could do something about it. Maybe we can go to Mr. Schue or Figgins—"

"No. I don't want to make a big deal out of it. What if that just makes him hate me even more? I don't want to cause trouble."

On the other end of the line, Kurt sighed. "Fine. But if anything else happens, we're telling Mr. Schue."

"Okay. I'm sorry to bother you. I just needed to talk to someone."

"Blaine, don't worry about it. I know how you feel." There was a pang in Blaine's heart when he remembered that Kurt had gone through this every day for weeks without telling anyone about it, and that even when he did,

no one even cared to help him. "Thank you for telling me. I would have been even more upset if you kept it a secret. Remember what you told me when we first met?"

"What?"

"Refuse to be the victim, Blaine. Stand up to him. Have courage. You need to take your own advice for this one."

"Thank you, Kurt."

"Of course. I love you."

"I love you, too." He hung up and fell onto his bed. Kurt was right. He wouldn't let Karofsky control him like some kind of puppet. He had to stand against him.

* * *

Kurt and Blaine met at the Lima Bean the next morning.

"The thing about Karofsky is that he can be so unpredictable sometimes," Kurt said. "You never know what he'll do next. It's the worst feeling in the world...and I guess I'm not helping much, am I? I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I decided to take your advice about taking my advice. If he does anything today, I'll confront him. That's that."

"But...I'm worried about you. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I get why you'd be worried. The minute anything happens, I promise to let you know, alright? It'll be okay." He took hold of Kurt's hand. Kurt opened his mouth as if to say something, but shut it and looked down at his cup.

"What is it?" Blaine asked.

"Okay, I know this is horrible timing, but I've been waiting to ask you for days." He looked at his boyfriend. "Blaine Anderson, will you go to homecoming with me?"

When Blaine didn't answer and only stared, looking surprised, Kurt added, "If you don't feel comfortable with it, I totally get it. We don't have to go. We could have a movie night. Homecoming isn't a big deal anyways."

"I'm really sorry, Kurt," Blaine told him. "It's just that...after what happened with Karofsky...I don't really..."

"Blaine, it's okay. It really is. We'll just stay home. To be quite honest, I'd take a night alone with you over homecoming any day." Kurt smirked teasingly. Blaine lost any and all ability to speak. All he could do was smile back and hope he wasn't making a fool of himself.

* * *

The first half of the school day went relatively well. Blaine and Karofsky didn't cross paths once, and Kurt glued himself to Blaine, watching over him all morning to make sure nothing happened. The only thing that put a damper on their day was when Kurt got slushied by one of the hockey players, but luckily Kurt keeps an "emergency outfit" in his locker at all times.

Unfortunately, the afternoon didn't go as smoothly.

Blaine had gym class for sixth period. After Mr. Howard made do countless push ups, sit ups, and laps around the gym, he was exhausted, but it almost made him forget about Karofsky and his bullying.

So, when he was done changing, he was shocked when he found himself, once again, pushed against the lockers. There were maybe five people still in the room, but once they saw Karofsky, they cleared out without looking back.

"Guess I didn't make myself clear enough yesterday, did I?" Dave spat. "You think I don't see you two, holding hands and making heart eyes all day? It's tiring to look at. I'm sick of it."

"Why are you doing this? What did I do to you?" Blaine asked. "If you're trying to be intimidating, it's not working. I won't let you keep shoving me into lockers like this. You don't scare me."

"Shut. Up!" He slammed his fist into the lockers.

"No." Blaine protested. "I refuse to give in to you. Kurt and I have just as much a right to be who we are as you do. I get what it's like for you. I know how it feels to be afraid of being who you really are. But trust me: bullying people isn't going to help anything."

Karofsky refused to listen. "I said _stop talking!_" He raised his fist and punched Blaine hard in the mouth, causing him to fall to the cold floor of the locker room.

"Why are you doing this?" Blaine got up again and punched back. Screw being civilized and talking things out. If Karofsky thought he was going to get in the way of him and Kurt, he was wrong. Blaine wouldn't let him. Karofsky pushed him against the lockers again, harder this time. He grabbed his shoulders and pushed him to the ground. Blaine tried to use his hands to break the fall, but he was too late and heard a snap in his left wrist. "Fuck you, Anderson." Dave kicked him in the stomach, and Blaine cried out in pain. Blaine thought he was done, but then Dave crouched over him and punched him once—no, wait, twice—more in the face. Then he boy ran, and Blaine was left alone in the locker room, afraid to move, clutching his wrist in pain. He sat there for at least fifteen minutes, wondering what he was going to do and not wanting to get up. But the next class would be coming into the locker room soon. He had to get out.

He managed to get up using the one good wrist he had left for support, and quickly left the room. As he walked into the hallway he saw students walking towards the locker room. He tried to be nonchalant as he strolled past them and the rest of the students, but his lip was bleeding, and he knew that they saw it. But, of course, no one bothered to ask if he was okay. He walked to the nearest bathroom and wiped the blood off of his face. His wrist and stomach were killing him, but there wasn't much he could do about it for now. There was no where to go. Back to class? There was still blood pouring out of his lip, and he couldn't move his wrist. There was nothing he could do but wait. He took a paper towel and, holding it to his lip, exited the bathroom.

He walked down the halls, unsure where he was going. When he realized he had no idea where he could go, he stopped. Students continued to walk around him as they filed into their classrooms. When the hallways were empty, he was struck by an idea and began to walk again, this time knowing a place where he could be alone and safe. He contemplated texting Kurt, he knew that was what he promised to do in case anything happened, but he was in the middle of class and didn't want him to worry.

When he finally reached the choir room, he opened the door and entered the silent, empty classroom. It was strange not to see it alive with the sounds of the glee club singing or discussing songs or even jabbing insults at each other. It was like it lost some of its magic.

He took a seat at the piano and played a few notes absentmindedly. His heart sunk when he realized his broken wrist would keep him from playing almost any instrument until it was healed. There was one instrument, however, that he didn't need any hands for.

So at first he began to hum, no song in particular, just random tunes that he created in his head. Then he sang, softly and quietly.

_I walked across an empty land_

_I knew the pathway like the back of my hand_

_I felt the earth beneath my feet;_

_Sat by the river, and it made me complete._

It was the song he had sang to Kurt when he decided to transfer back to McKinley last year. He considered it one of his favorite songs. There was just something about it, about the lyrics and the way the original artist sang it, that just gave Blaine this indescribable feeling, even more so after he had sung it to Kurt.

_And if you have a minute why don't we go_

_talk about it somewhere only we know?_

_This could be the end of everything_

_So why don't we go somewhere only we know?_

Out in the hallway, the school bell rang, indicating the end of the day. Glee club wasn't for another fifteen minutes, though, so he kept singing and repeated the chorus.

"That was really good." He turned around to see Rachel standing in the doorway. She turned on the lights, and Blaine's eyes took a few seconds to adjust.

"What are you doing here?" Blaine asked.

"I'm always early..Blaine, what happened to you?" Noticing his bloody lip, she strode to him, carefully putting her hands on his face to examine the cut. "Who did that to you?"

"It's nothing. Not a big deal."

"Blaine, it obviously is. Your lip is hurt and by the looks of it, your eye is worse." What was wrong with his eye? It couldn't have bruised that quickly, could it have? "Come on, sit down." Rachel grabbed his left wrist to pull him to the piano bench, and Blaine winced in pain. Rachel looked down at his wrist, and then at his face. "You need to tell me who did this." she pleaded. "I can keep it a secret. But we need to do something about it."

Blaine sighed. "It was Karofsky."

_"What?" _Rachel exclaimed. "Well, I guess I'm not that surprised. But why? You need to go to the nurse. You should go home and rest..."

"No, no, I have to talk to Kurt...where's my phone...?" He fumbled around in his pockets with right hand, but couldn't feel his phone there. "I think I left it in the locker room. I'll go get it." When he began to walk away, Rachel stopped him. "The football team is probably in there for practice. I'll have Finn see if he can find it. Kurt will be here any minute." She fumbled around in her bag for her phone. _SOS,_ she texted Kurt. _Choir room, ASAP._ She then texted Finn to ask him to look for Blaine's phone.

"We can't let him keep getting away with this," Rachel said. "He can't keep hurting you and Kurt and everyone else. I think you should go to Figgins."

"I don't know, Rachel. Kurt said that if anything else happened, we would go to him, but I really don't want to cause any more trouble."

"Wait...Kurt knows about this?"

"...Karofsky..." Blaine fished for the right word. "..._confronted_ me yesterday."

"And by _confronted_ you mean..."

"Rachel."

"Please, Blaine, just tell me. I want to help you. I won't let him get away with hurting another one of my friends."

His heart warmed at the mention that Rachel considered Blaine a friend. Of course, they had that duet at Sectionals together and he supposed they bonded a bit over it, but it was nice to hear the words out of her mouth. He could trust Rachel. "After school yesterday, he shoved me against the lockers and told me that me and Kurt need to...I don't know, 'stop being so gay' or however you want to put it. And he told me not to tell anyone about what he did to Kurt last year."

"But then he hurt you today."

"Yeah. I didn't even do anything...he just came out of nowhere. It was sixth period."

"You've been hiding in here for an entire period?"

"Only maybe fifteen minutes. I spent the rest in the bathroom trying to get my lip to stop bleeding. Does my eye look that bad?"

"No. You can barely tell. It's just a little red right now but it'll definitely leave a bruise later." Rachel nodded towards the door. "Come on. Let's get you to the nurse. I'll tell Kurt to meet you there." He linked her left arm with Blaine's right arm and walked him to the nurses' office.

* * *

Kurt looked both ways across the hallway, searching for Blaine. He was usually at his locker by now, where they always met up to go to glee club together. He waited a couple more minutes before deciding to go to the choir room by himself. Blaine's teacher is probably holding the class for an extra five minutes for some ridiculously stupid reason.

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He had a new text from Rachel, telling him to get to the choir room as soon as possible. He had begun to walk faster and was almost to the choir room when he got another text.

_Nevermind. Get to the nurses' office._

So he changed his direction to meet Rachel there and began to panic. Why did Rachel want him to go there? Did something happen to her?

When he finally reached the room, he found Rachel, looking perfectly healthy, sitting on one of the plastic chairs they had available. He was only confused for a moment, because then he saw Blaine on the bed. His lower lip and right eye looked swollen.

"I called your parents, sweetie," the nurse said, coming back into the room. "Keep putting that ice on your eye. You'll have to go to the hospital for your wrist." Blaine put an ice pack back over his eye and muttered "Thanks." The nurse left the room, and Kurt, Blaine, and Rachel were left alone. Rachel excused herself and smiled comfortingly at the two of them before leaving the room.

"Did Karofsky do this to you?" Kurt took a seat on the bed next to Blaine, who nodded. "Yeah," he said. "It was him. He came up to me in the locker room and hit me."

While Kurt was absolutely horrified, he couldn't say he was surprised. He'd tried to avoid this as best he can. Maybe he wasn't good enough...he could have done something...

"Stop. I know that look," Blaine said to him. "This wasn't your fault."

"But I could have done something to stop it."

"How? You couldn't know that Karofsky would come into the locker room after my gym class and attack me."

Kurt was silent for a moment. He knew Blaine was right. "Fine. You win this one, Anderson. But we have to go to Figgins tomorrow."

"Okay."

"I'm sorry you had to go through this."

"It's not your fault, Kurt."

"I know, but...still. I'll stay here with you until your parents come, okay?"

"Thank you."

Kurt kissed Blaine's forehead. "You're welcome."

* * *

"We'll be there soon. Thanks." Mary Anderson hung up the phone, got her coat and purse, and rushed to her husband, who was lounging in front of the television. "We have to get to Blaine's school. He's hurt. They said somebody beat him up."

Her husband, George, didn't move. "Good. Any faggot son of mine needs a good beating every now and again."

"George," Mary warned. "Please." George may not accept Blaine, but he was still their son. Mary had no problem with her son being gay, and she didn't understand why her husband couldn't look past it and at least talk to him every once in a while. Now was the perfect chance. It was one of the rare times when the entire family got to be together. This weekend, the parents' work schedules said they were both off, a vacation much needed for both of them.

"I'm not coming, Mary."

"He could be hurt badly."

"He got what was coming to him."

She starred at him in disbelief. She didn't understand how someone could be so cruel towards their own child. "I can't believe you. Blaine is our son. How could you treat him like this? Like he's some kind of animal?"

"Our son is dead to me." His face and voice was completely empty of any kind of emotion.

"And you're dead to me," Mary retorted. "I want you to leave this house."

Mr. Anderson stood up from his seat. "Excuse me? Whose name is on the mortgage? Who pays for half the shit in this house?"

"Then Blaine and I are leaving. I can't take this anymore, George. I refuse to live like this. Blaine needs to be in a better environment. This isn't good for him or me. You're a cold, heartless bastard and I don't want you around Blaine."

For a few seconds, George just stood there, staring at his wife. Then suddenly, without a second thought, he raised his hand and slapped her in the face. He drew his hand back and watched as his hand print appeared in red on her cheek. Mary refused to show any kind of weakness to him. Her face remained strong the entire time. "Goodbye, George," she said as she turned around, grabbed her keys from the table, and walked out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

Kurt wasn't sure how much time had passed before a woman appeared in the doorway. She was tall with wavy black hair and olive skin. Blaine, who's head rested on Kurt's shoulder, noticed her and sat upright. "Hi, Mom."

"Blaine..." She rushed over to Blaine. "Sweetie, are you okay? What happened?"

"...I'll explain later," he said. He stood up and anxiously looked to Kurt. "Mom, this is Kurt...my boyfriend."

Mary turned to see the boy next to her son. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Anderson," he said, hand outstretched. She shook it and with a smile replied, "Same to you, Kurt." Blaine glanced between the two, trying to control the huge grin on his face. He had been waiting for this moment for seven months. He was glad that his father wasn't around for it; he surely would have killed it before Kurt could get a word out.

And to Mary, Kurt seemed kind enough. When she saw the way Blaine looked and smiled at him, there was no way she could ever doubt that they loved each other. Her husband may have different views, but as long as Blaine was happy, it was enough for her.

"I, uh...I have a broken wrist. We'll have to go to the hospital."

Mary nodded sadly. She hated that this was happening to her son again. "We'd better get going, then. I think it's time we caught up with each other. It was great meeting you, Kurt." She and Blaine walked out of the room, Blaine's hand brushing against Kurt's as he passed.

* * *

In the car, Blaine explained the entire story to his mother again. When he was done, she asked, "Are you sure you don't want to go back to Dalton?"

Blaine took a moment to think about it. "No," he said. "I miss Dalton, but I like it here. I like it a lot."

"Because of Kurt?"

Honesty is the best policy, right? "Yeah, mostly. And the glee club."

"How is that going?"

"It's great. I actually got a solo for Sectionals last week...it was a duet, actually, but still."

"I'm sorry I missed it."

"It's okay, Mom."

"And your grades?"

"I have a 4.5 GPA."

"That's amazing, honey. I'm so proud of you." She looked over at Blaine with tear-filled eyes, and Blaine felt his eyes stinging with tears, too. _I'm so proud of you._ Five words. Five syllables. That was all it took. It was all he wanted to hear. He always pushed himself in everything he did, from grades to music, mainly because he just wanted his parents to actually notice him for a change. All he wanted to do was make them proud. And now he has.

Mary wiped her eyes. "So...about this Kurt boy..."

"Yes?"

"How long have you two been together?"

"Seven months."

"Really?" Her smile turned to a frown. "All seven months...I was barely even there. I hardly saw you. I'm so sorry, honey. I've been trying to talk to my boss to switch me to a different shift so maybe I can see you a bit more. I've missed you so much, and I'm so sorry I wasn't there. Please say you forgive me." She began to cry again.

"Of course I forgive you, Mom. Please don't cry." This only seemed to make her cry harder. She tried to concentrate on the road through her tears. "Thank you."

They pulled into the hospital's parking lot and found a space, but neither of them got out of the car. Mary wiped her eyes and they sat in silence. She was the one who spoke.

"Do you love him?"

"What?"

"Your boyfriend, Kurt. Do you love him?"

"Yes. Of course I do. I'm in love with him." He was hesitant to reply at first, but when he saw his mother's smile, he instantly brightened. "I'm glad you found someone," she said, and Blaine's heart swelled with joy. It was an amazing feeling to know that at least his mother accepted him.

"Now come on. Let's get a cast on that wrist of yours." They got out of the car, walked into the hospital, and checked in. While they were sitting in the waiting room, Blaine's other said, "There's something important I have to tell you."

There was no more putting it off. She couldn't make any more small talk to avoid it. It was time that he knew.

"Yeah?" Blaine replied.

Mary took a deep breath before answering. She worried about what her son's reaction would be. Would he hate her for it? "I left your father. I told him you and I are moving out."

"What? Why?"

"When your school called to tell us you were hurt, we got into an...argument."

"About me."

"It's not your fault, sweetie. Really. It...it was bound to happen sooner or later." She hated telling him this, and maybe it was too personal, but she couldn't take it back now.

"I know," Blaine sighed. If he was being completely honest, a part of him was glad. Ever since he came out to his father, he made him feel as if there was something wrong with him. Like he wasn't human. He knew that as long as his father was alive, he would never accept Blaine for who he was.

A memory flashed into Blaine's mind. It was about three years ago, and Blaine and his parents were sitting in their living room.

_Mary and George sat on the couch, and Blaine across from them in a chair._ _His legs felt weak, like he couldn't stand up if he wanted to. His heart raced. He tried to calm himself before speaking._

_"Mom, Dad...there's something I have to tell you."_

_"You know you can talk to us about anything, Blaine," His mother said._

_"What is it?" His father asked. "Is it about school?"_

_"No, no, it's not that. School's fine."_

_"Then what is it? Spit it out, boy."_

_"I'm...I'm gay."_

_His parents' eyes widened. Mary drew in a sharp breath._

_"Excuse me?" His father asked, eyebrows furrowed. His face was blank. Blaine couldn't tell if he was confused or angry or something else._

_"I'm tired of hiding who I am from you. I love you both so much, and—"_

_"Don't give me that bullshit." George was definitely angry. His face was turning a dark red, and you could practically see the smoke pouring out of his ears. "You're not gay. It's just a phase. In another year or two you'll have a girlfriend—"_

_"No, I won't, Dad." Blaine protested. "It's not a phase."_

_Mr. Anderson stood up, walked around the coffee table, and to his son. Blaine forced his legs to work and rose from his seat as well, so him and his father were face to face. Tears stung at his eyes, but he refused to let them spill. He wouldn't give him the satisfaction of that._

_His father looked him straight in the eye. "Get out of my house."_

_"George—" His mother protested, also getting up from the couch._

_"No, Mary." He put out a hand to stop her, but didn't take his eyes away from Blaine._

_"I won't have you live under my roof. You need to leave."_

_"But—Dad—"_

_"Don't call me 'dad.' As long as you're convinced that you're a fag, you're not my son. Now pack your bags and get out of my house."_

_"I have nowhere to go!"_

_"It's not my problem."_

_"Please don't do this—I'm sorry—"_

_Blaine's eyes widened in fear as his father raised his fist and harshly punched him in the cheek. He stumbled backwards and searched for something to balance him; all his hands found was a lamp, which fell to the floor. Blaine managed to regain his balance, however, and had no clue what else to do but flee upstairs to his bedroom, where be began to stuff handfuls of random clothing into a duffel bag. His breath was coming in short gasps, and the next thing he knew, tears were spilling out of his eyes. Why couldn't his father understand? And why didn't his mother say or do anything? Nothing was clear to him anymore._

_He finished packing and zipped up the bag. He wasn't exactly sure what he packed, but he hoped it was enough. He laid down on his bed and cried, cried until he couldn't breathe or see anything. He wasn't sure how long he had been lying there when his cell phone went off on top of his bag. He reached for it and the screen showed that he had a new text message from his mother. Confused, he sat up in his bed and tapped the screen to view it. _Go to your Aunt Beth's house, _it read. _She already knows you're coming. I'll stop by tomorrow. I'm sorry.

_He stared at the message in wonder. Maybe she _did _care about him._

_So he put the bag on his shoulder and walked downstairs. His parents were in the kitchen; his father holding a glass of bourbon at the table, and his mother standing against the counter with a mug of tea. His father didn't turn around at the sound of his footsteps. Mary nodded at him, and he returned the gesture._

_Aunt Beth only lived about a mile away, so it took about half an hour to get to her house. Last time he had checked, before he talked to his parents, it was eight o' clock at night, so it must have been at least nine thirty. When he walked to her doorstep, he didn't even have to ring the doorbell for her to open the door and wrap him in her arms. "Oh, Blaine," she said. "Everything will be okay, I promise you. It'll be just fine."_

_It had been a few months since he'd last seen her, but from what Blaine could remember, she hasn't changed much over the years. She had blue eyes and black hair down to her shoulders. She was rather short compared to Blaine, maybe around five feet tall. Aunt Beth was always Blaine's favorite aunt when he was younger. She would sneak him dessert after Thanksgiving dinner and always got him what he wanted for Christmas. And as he got older, he grew to respect her. She was one of the kindest women he knew, but at the same time wasn't afraid to speak her opinion, and Blaine loved her for that._

_"Come on in, kid. Make yourself settled." She showed him his room, an average-sized guest room with cream colored walls, a painting above a dresser, and a television. (The latter made Blaine happy for a few moments; as much as he had begged, his parents had never let him have a TV in his bedroom.) The bed was comfortable, although Blaine barely slept that night._

_In the morning, he went into the kitchen to find his aunt scrambling eggs over the stove. He offered to help, but Beth denied it. The eggs turned out to be delicious. He got a chance to talk with his aunt over his second cup of coffee after breakfast._

_"I just wanted to tell you that I don't care whether you're gay, straight, or anything in between. It doesn't matter to me. I know your mom feels the same way I do. That's why she called me last night and asked me to take you in. As for your dad...maybe he'll come around. To be honest, though, I don't understand why your mom's still with him. I knew all he was was trouble, right from the start."_

_Tears pooled in Blaine's eyes for what must have been the fiftieth time in the past twenty four hours. It was nice to know there was someone out there who didn't think of him as some kind of inhuman creature. "Thank you, Aunt Beth. Really. You have no idea how grateful I am." He was about to say more, but the doorbell rang. "You're welcome," Beth said to Blaine, and then shouted "Come in!" towards the door._

_Into the house came Mary, who smiled at the sight of her son._

_"Mom," Blaine said, walking towards her. She wrapped Blaine in a long, warm, loving hug. She clung to him as if she were afraid that at any moment someone will come and snatch him away._

_She finally pulled away and put her hands on Blaine's face. "Are you okay?"_

_"Yeah, I'm alright," Blaine assured her._

_"You have a bruise..." She gently ran her fingers over Blaine's cheek, where his father had hit him the night before. Blaine blushed. He hadn't looked in the mirror since he woke up and therefore didn't notice the bruise. He wondered why Aunt Beth didn't say anything to him about it._

_"I'm so sorry," Mary continued. "I should have done something last night."_

_"It's okay, Mom." Maybe he was supposed to be angry at her, but he just couldn't be. He knew she meant well._

_"Your father is still upset, but I want you to know...I love you. You'll always be my son, no matter who you love. All I want is for you to be happy."_

_Neither of them were able to hold back their tears. "I love you, too," Blaine replied. "Thank you."_

* * *

Blaine was brought back to reality by the touch of his mother's hand over his own. "I know I'm apologizing a lot tonight, but I'm sorry."

"I understand, Mom. It's okay."

More memories, both good and bad, flashed before his eyes. His mother visiting him every couple of days, just to make sure he was doing okay. Sitting at the kitchen table, playing cards with his aunt. Sitting alone at lunch during school. Being tossed not just against the locker, but literally _into _it, and locked inside until someone heard him and was kind enough to get it open for him.

He had stayed at Aunt Beth's for a couple more weeks, until Mary finally convinced George to let Blaine back in. Even when he did, however, he barely said a word to him. After the Sadie Hawkins dance, he transferred to Dalton, and his father insisted that he boarded there.

As much as he was taunted by George, he was still Blaine's father, and a part of him would miss him. But he knew it was better this way. He realized that his parents never really fought until he came out to them. He couldn't help but feel guilty about it, but he didn't speak up to his mom. He knew she would tell him that he wasn't to blame.

A nurse called him into a room where she checked his blood pressure and heartbeat. Then he was led to an another room, where he waited for a doctor. Silence fell over Blaine and his mother, and they both sat in waiting for a long while.

"I'll move in to your Aunt Joyce's house, so you won't have to move." Aunt Joyce was the aunt that Blaine was staying with now, who lived just outside of Lima. "But you'll have to come with me to get the rest of your things."

"Okay." He wasn't sure what else he should say.

Just then a tall, balding man in a long white coat walked into the room. "Hello there," he said, shaking both their hands. "You can call me Dr. Ian." He looked down at his clipboard. "Broken wrist, huh? May I take a look at it?"

He examined Blaine's wrist, trying to inch it left, right, up, and down. Blaine winced in pain. He felt and moved it a little more before seeming to come to a conclusion. "It seems broken to me. We'd better do some X-Rays just to be sure." So he took am X-Ray, and, sure enough, it was broken.

A few hours later, they walked out of the hospital with a cast on Blaine's wrist. It was impossible to move anything and it would definitely get in the way of things, but he'd have to work around it. The cast had to stay on for seven weeks.

They drove to Aunt Joyce's house, where Blaine dropped off his school bag and grabbed a snack. His mother had four sisters, and they all looked pretty much the same: silky black hair, olive skin, brown eyes. The only difference was that Aunt Beth was shorter than the rest and Aunt Joyce wore glasses. He hadn't seen his other two aunts, Grace and Jane, for years since they lived out of state.

As he sat in the kitchen, he heard his mother and Aunt Joyce talk in the living room. From what he could hear, Joyce seemed to be assuring her that leaving his father was the right thing to do.

He wasn't quite sure what to think or feel about his mom and dad splitting up. On one hand, he was happy, because he wouldn't have to put up with the constant torture of his father's silence anymore. On the other, at the end of the day he was still his father, and there was a part of him that still loved him, even though he put him through hell. He guessed you never really stop loving your family.

The phone on the counter rang, and Blaine got up from his seat to get it. "Hello?"

"Blaine? Oh, thank god it's you. I wasn't sure where to call since you lost your phone."

"I'll get it back tomorrow."

"How do you feel?"

"I got a cast on my wrist. My eye's bruised but I think the swelling went down a bit. I'll be okay."

"We're going to get him expelled, Blaine. He deserves at least a suspension for what he did to you. I can have Coach Sylvester pull some strings. I think she still likes me."

"Karofsky's probably spread the word that he beat another kid up today. The whole school probably knows by now. Everyone will be staring at me tomorrow."

"I don't know about that. But if Azimio or anybody does as much as look at you the wrong way, you bet I won't be afraid to give them a taste of their own medicine."

For some reason, Blaine chuckled. "Thanks, Kurt." After a second-long pause, he continued. "So...in the hospital, my mom told me that she left my dad."

"What? Blaine, I'm so sorry."

"It's...it's okay, I guess. I don't really know. But I could really use a hand when I pack my stuff, considering one of mine is...disabled, or whatever you want to call it. Would you mind helping me? We're leaving in a few minutes so if you already have plans..."

"No, I'd love to. Want me to meet you there?"

"That sounds great. Thank you."

"Of course, Blaine."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." He hung up the phone just as his aunt and mother walked back into the room.

"Ready to go, Blaine?" His mother grabbed her bag from the counter and slung her coat over her arm.

"Yeah," he replied. "Is it okay if Kurt comes to help me pack?" He awkwardly gestured to his broken wrist.

Mary agreed to let Kurt help him, and Blaine followed her out the door and into the car. Their house was in Lakeview, so it was a half hour drive. As they pulled up to the house, both Blaine and his mother sighed in relief when they saw that George's car wasn't in the driveway. Kurt's car was parked on the street. Upon seeing them, Kurt got out of it and greeted Mrs. (Ms.?) Anderson with a smile.

"Let me know if you boys need any help," Mary said as she opened the front door and stepped inside. She began to walk up the stairs to her bedroom but stopped halfway, peeking back into the living room where her son and his boyfriend stood. "Oh, and boys? The door stays open." She could only hold her stern face for a moment after seeing their faces. Blaine gave her that look that she'd seen many other kids give their parents: the "Mom, _please_ stop embarrassing me in front of my friends/boyfriend" look. Kurt was blushing wildly.

She went to her bedroom, leaving the couple behind. Seeing Kurt's stressed expression, Blaine said, "Don't worry. She likes you."

"She does?"

"Uh-huh. She said she was glad that I found someone. And that she was proud of me, which was really good to hear."

"I'm so happy for you. About you and your mom. Not about her and your dad..." Kurt trailed off, feeling uncomfortable. "Sorry."

"It's fine. I'm not sure how I should feel myself," Blaine admitted. "We'd better get packing." They went to his room, careful to leave the door wide open, and Blaine began to fish for his suitcase in the pile of junk stuffed in his closet.

He found it, pulled it out, and set it on the bed. They agreed that Kurt would tackle the closet while Blaine went through his dresser. They worked in silence, Kurt often biting his tongue to keep himself from commenting on some of the less than fashionable things he found. (He swore he had never seen so many flood pants in his life.)

After a little over an hour, the majority of Blaine's clothes (he decided to put some of them aside to be donated later) were packed into two large suitcases and a duffel bag.

Back in his closet, quite a large collection of various items were left on the floor. Much of it was from all the times his mother had asked him to clean his room; he tended to just stuff everything in the closet. He knew he would regret it one day.

It took another hour (with a snack courtesy of Mrs. Anderson in between) to sort everything out. They found candy wrappers, old homework from Dalton, two books Blaine had been searching for for months, and more between sports jerseys and equipment.

Perhaps Blaine's favorite discovery was a picture of him and the Warblers, Kurt included, at last year's Regional competition. Blaine found himself smiling in remembrance. Kurt looked over Blaine's shoulder to see the photo. "Oh, the good ol' days," he sighed dramatically. "When you finally caught on to my endless flirting and gazing. It took you long enough," he teased, and Blaine nudged him playfully. He knew Kurt would never let that go. He'd probably tell the story to their children and grandchildren and the story would probably be passed on throughout the generations and he will forever be known as Mr. Oblivious.

Blaine laughed to himself at the thought and stood up to put the picture in the "keep" box.


	8. Chapter 8

"Were there any witnesses to the incident?"

"A few people were in the locker room when he came in, but they fled as soon as they saw him," Blaine explained, glancing at Dave. "And I didn't really know any of them anyways." He was in Principal Figgins' office. His mother stood behind the chair he was sitting in, and Dave and his father sat on another couch.

"What I don't understand is why you would do something like this," Mr. Karofsky said to his son. "You were doing so well."

Dave was silent, eyes fixed the carpet.

"Blaine, Mrs. Anderson, I'm going to be blunt. If there were no witnesses, I'm not sure how much I could do for you. I could talk to the school board—"

"With all due respect, Mr. Figgins, we don't really need witnesses." He gestured to his broken wrist and his other injuries. The principal stared at them, and Blaine tried to figure out what he was thinking. He wouldn't let Karofsky get away with this again. "And we all know that Dave has done this to other people in the past," he said, not even caring about how that may have sounded or how Karofsky might take it. "You know what happened with Kurt, not to mention the innumerable slushies he keeps throwing on the glee club's faces." He glared at Dave, who lifted his eyes to glare right back.

Figgins leaned back in his chair and thought for a few minutes. The rest of the room sat in an uncomfortable silence.

Finally, he seemed to come to a verdict, sitting up straight once again.

"I will give Dave a one week suspension."

"But—" Dave tried to interrupt.

"If you want anything more, Mrs. Anderson, I'd have to talk to the board."

"Mr Figgins, please..."

While his son continued to beg, Mr. Karofsky nodded in sad acceptance. Figgins refused to give in and gestured for them to leave the room, leaving Blaine and Mary in the office.

"Thank you, Mr. Figgins," Mary said. "I appreciate your help."

"You're welcome."

She left the office with her son, Blaine nodding as to say "thanks" as he walked out the glass door.

Outside of the office, Mary mumbled, "You know, I think one of my cousins just finished law school..."

"No, no, Mom. Please don't," Blaine told her. "It's okay."

"I just...I hate seeing you hurt."

"I understand. But I'm okay, really. I'll be fine."

Mary pulled Blaine into a hug, Blaine awkwardly resting his head on her shoulder. He tried to remember the last time he got a hug from one of his parents; his eighth grade graduation, maybe? However long ago it was, it was too long. He missed his mother's comfort.

The bell rang, signaling the beginning of the school day, and Mary pulled away. "Don't want to make you late for class. Go. Have a good day."

"Thanks, Mom." Blaine smiled at her as he walked away.

* * *

Five minutes later, Blaine burst into Mr. Schuester's classroom, earning him stares from both the teacher and the students. "Sorry," he mumbled, and Mr. Schue gave him a look that, if he understood correctly, said _you're off the hook this time. _He quickly took a seat and grabbed what he needed from his bag, taking a moment to smile at Kurt next to him.

He began to write down what was written on the board when Kurt set a folded piece of paper on his desk.

_Hi. How did things go with Figgins?_

Blaine scribbled a reply and handed it to Kurt again, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. He heard Kurt scoff. Thirty seconds later, it was back on his desk.

_Seriously? Only a week? He deserves at least a month if not expulsion._

Blaine replied, _I know, but there were no witnesses. I don't want to push it. I'm lucky he got a week._

Kurt took longer to reply this time, spending a good two minutes absentmindedly tapping his pen against his desk and staring down at the paper. Finally, he wrote back.

_I might be able to do something._

Blaine looked over to him, but Kurt was staring straight ahead. Blaine knew that look on his face. He was up to something.

They didn't say anything else to each other for the rest of class. Kurt was forming a plan. Blaine was trying to figure out what that plan was. When class was over, they said goodbye to each other and headed in opposite directions, to their next class.

Kurt at least pretended like he was.

When the bell rang, instead of going to psychology, he headed to another room.

He stepped in the doorway and knocked on its frame. "Coach Sylvester?"

Sue looked up from her paper. "What can I do for you, Porcelain?"

He nervously shifted on his feet. "I...I could really use your help."

* * *

Two periods later, Kurt saw Blaine again at lunch. They sat at their usual table with Tina, Mike, and Lauren. Kurt and Blaine sat next to each other; Lauren was on the other side of Kurt; Tina and Mike sat across from the three of them. From what Blaine could hear, Tina and Lauren were discussing the latest _Sherlock Holmes _movie,and Mike seemed a little too happy about today's lunch of pizza and tater tots. He was practically shoveling it all into his mouth in a matter of seconds (and was eyeing the lunch line to see if he can get another slice...or two...or three). Blaine took this opportunity to talk to Kurt.

"You're up to something," Blaine said, keeping his voice low. "What is it?"

"If everything goes as planned, you'll find out soon enough," Kurt replied, and refused to say another word on the subject for the rest of the meal. But Blaine was dying to know what was happening. He hated being out of the loop.

So he gently nudged Kurt. "Come ooon," he pleaded. "Tell me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Have some patience, Blaine. I'm not even sure if it'll work yet. Just...wait." And with that, they both shut up for the rest of the period.

* * *

"Listen to me, Figgins. You're going to expel that kid. Do you have any idea how hard it is to be bullied and taunted for something that's out of your control?"

"Sue—"

"Is a one week suspension really the best you could do? Because it obviously worked so well on the kid last year when he did the same thing. And do I really have to mention those pictures I found—"

"Sue!"

"Believe it or not, I already have the post saved as a draft on the Cheerios' website. All it takes is one click, Figgins."

"Put your phone away, Sue!"

"My finger's right over the 'publish' button..."

* * *

Figgins spoke with Blaine after glee club that day. When he asked to speak to the boy, Blaine signaled to Kurt that he would meet up with him in a minute before turning back to Figgins.

"David Karofsky has been expelled," he said to Blaine.

"What?"

"I spoke with the...school board. They decided it would be best if he no longer attended McKinley."

"Um, t-thank you, sir." Figgins nodded and walked away. Blaine took a second to process the information as he walked down the hallway. He nearly jumped when he turned the corner to find Kurt leaning against the wall. With a smirk on his face, Kurt winked and stood up straight.

"What did you...How did you even..."

"I have connections. Well, one. One with enough blackmail-worthy information to last for a _long_ time."

"Sue."

"Are you mad at me?"

Blaine decided that he wasn't. Maybe he should be, but he couldn't be, not even if he wanted to. "No," he said. "I should probably be be disappointed in you for using blackmail to get him expelled, but at least he won't be hurting anyone anymore, you know?"

"Yeah." They still had Azimio and the rest of the football team, but he wanted to hope that they wouldn't dare mess with anyone after they find out what happened to Karofsky. "It's been a really long day. Coffee?" he asked, already knowing what the answer was. He held out his hand and Blaine took it in his, and they walked out of the school together.

* * *

The next day was very uneventful compared to the week before. Blaine got a few glares from the football team, but that was it. They didn't dare shout an insult at him. He could definitely get used to it.

On his way to sixth period, he spotted a poster in the hallway and stopped in his tracks. It was for Homecoming. Tomorrow. _Shit. _He had completely forgotten about that between everything with Karofsky. He made a mental note to stop by the video rental store after school.

"Are we still on for tomorrow night?" Blaine asked Kurt at glee club.

"What?"

"Tomorrow. Movie night?"

"Oh! Yeah, right. Of course! I'm sorry. After everything that happened, I kind of figured you didn't..."

"I'm not letting Karofsky get in the way of our date, Kurt."

"Good. So my house? Around five?"

"I'll be there." They smiled at each other, and Kurt saw Santana smirking in the corner of his eye. "Movie night, huh? Is that what the kids call it these days?"

_"Santana!"_

"Oh, come on. Don't pretend you weren't thinking about it."

"Santana, _please_ stop talking," Kurt flushed, trying his best to ignore her and focus on what Mr. Schue was saying.

* * *

On Friday night, Kurt was pouring microwave popcorn into a bowl when the doorbell rang. "It's open," he shouted and hoped that it was Blaine and not some serial killer he just invited into his home.

Luckily, it was the former. Blaine walked into the kitchen holding a stack of DVDs in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other.

"You got me flowers?" Kurt's face broke out into a grin.

"No, these are actually for my other boyfriend," Blaine joked, and Kurt mock-hit him in the arm. They both laughed and Kurt pulled Blaine in for a kiss. Blaine set the DVDs on the kitchen counter while Kurt found a vase for the flowers. "They're beautiful. Thank you." They kissed again, longer this time, and then set the DVDs and popcorn on the coffee table. Finn was at homecoming with Rachel and his parents had decided to go on their own date night, so they had the house to themselves.

"Are you sure we'll have enough time to watch all of these?" Kurt asked, looking through all of the DVDs Blaine had brought.

"Well, if we don't, I guess we'll just have to have another movie night," Blaine replied with a grin.

So they popped in the first DVD on the pile, _Rent._

Kurt smiled, remembering what was technically one of their first dates; when Blaine got them tickets for the musical. He realized it had been a year since he first met Blaine at Dalton. A year? Already? It may have flown by fast, but he still cherished everysecond of it.

Blaine put an arm on the back of the couch and Kurt snuggled into his chest, balancing the popcorn bowl on Blaine's lap. They stayed that way throughout the entire musical. By the time it was over, the bowl of popcorn was empty, so Kurt went to refill it while Blaine put the next movie into the DVD player.

When Kurt walked back into the room to see the Disney logo on the screen, he couldn't help but smile. Of course Blaine would bring a Disney movie. It was _The Lion King, _and by the time it was over, they had both shed a tear or two. They sniffled simultaneously and looked at each other before bursting out in laughter. "Look at us," Kurt said. "Crying over a movie about lions. We look ridiculous."

"Everyone cries during _Lion King_, though," Blaine explained. "If you don't, you're not a human being."

Kurt just shook his head in response and giggled as he inserted _Father of the Bride_ into the DVD player. He had to admit, this movie was one of his biggest guilty pleasures. However, by the end of it, he was asleep. His head was in Blaine's lap, and Blaine ran his hands through his hair, knowing that Kurt would probably hate him for it but continuing anyways.

He had stopped watching the movie long ago; his eyes were fixed on Kurt now, concentrating on every inch of his face from the way his eyelashes rested on his cheek to his mouth that was open just a sliver. God, he was beautiful. Blaine had no words.

Before he knew it, the credits were rolling, and Blaine was stuck. He didn't want to move and wake up Kurt. He figured he would give him a few more minutes, and _then _he would wake him. Just five minutes...

* * *

It was around ten thirty when Burt and Carole returned from their date. It had been wonderful; they went to dinner at Carole's favorite Italian restaurant, and then Burt drove for an hour to surprise Carole by taking her to Ohio's one and only drive-in theater. And Carole loved it.

They walked inside their house, turning on the lights as they entered each room. "Uh..." Burt paused when he entered the living room to find his son lying in Blaine's lap, both of them asleep. Carole appeared behind him a second later. She knew her husband was uncomfortable, but she couldn't help but internally squeal when she saw the two boys. "Let them be," she said quietly. "They're not being...inappropriate or anything." Burt cringed at the thought...on his couch...he pushed the thought out of his mind. He had to admit; Blaine treated his son well. He couldn't deny that. But he still wasn't sure he was ready for Kurt to be doing...you know, _that._

"I'll call his mom to let him know he's staying over," Carole said. "I don't have her number. Do you think he'd mind if I used his phone?" There was really no other choice, so she used Blaine's cell phone to call Mary. Carole assured her that Blaine was safe and sound, and Mary seemed to trust her about it. Since it was late, they hung up after a minute. Burt and Carole took one last look at the two before going to bed.

* * *

Blaine woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon. He opened his eyes and was confused for a moment before remembering the night before. So much for a five minute nap. Beginning to worry that his mom was panicking, he reached for his phone when Carole appeared from upstairs. "I called you mom last night to let her know you were staying over," she said. "I hope you don't mind that I used your phone."

"Oh, no, it's fine. Thank you." At the sound of Blaine's voice, Kurt's eyes fluttered open. He sat up and stretched. "You should have woken me up."

"I know how much you value beauty sleep."

"I don't want you to get in trouble with your mom."

"She won't mind. Carole called her."

Kurt, still half-asleep, just made a noise in response. "I'm starving." He got up and walked to the kitchen, and Blaine followed him.

He ended up awkwardly shifting from side to side in the kitchen. "I, uh, I should get going. I don't want to be—"

"Oh, no, honey, please. Stay for breakfast. It's no trouble at all," Carole insisted, and Blaine didn't have the heart to say no. He took a seat next to Kurt at the table.

"I missed the ending of _Father of the Bride_," he said. "The ending is my favorite part, too."

Blaine replied, "I guess we'll just have to watch it again next time. And I have yet to introduce you to the wonderful world of _LOST_."

Kurt smiled and went to set the table. Blaine had nothing to do but watch everything that was going on. Carole swatted Finn's hands away from the bacon; "Breakfast hasn't started yet," she scolded. Kurt straightened Burt's hat as he set the table. "Morning, Blaine," Burt said with a smile as he sat down. "Good morning, Mr. Hummel," Blaine replied. By then, breakfast was ready, and Kurt returned to his seat as Carole began to lay the meal out on the table: scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon, waffles...and just about every other breakfast food imaginable. Seeing the look on his face, Kurt leaned over and said, "Kind of a family tradition. Every Saturday, we eat a huge breakfast feast together. It's pretty much the only day of the week when we're all together in the morning, so we like to take advantage of it."

Blaine thought that was sweet. Each time his family tried to have a meal together, it almost always ended up in arguments and someone standing up and leaving the table. It was nice to be around a real family for a change, one that supported each other through thick and thin.

It was the best meal Blaine had had in a long time. Not only was the food delicious, but the Hummels were great. Like always when he stayed for dinner, they didn't exclude him from their conversation. They asked him about school and glee club. Burt talked to him about the auto shop and football. Finn told them about homecoming. Kurt gossiped to him. It was wonderful.

Shortly after the meal ended, Blaine's mom called and asked him to return home. He thanked Burt and Carole and kissed Kurt goodbye before heading out the door.

* * *

Before Monday morning's glee club meeting began, Kurt stood in front of the piano, trying to get the group to quiet down.

"I prepared a number for today. I'd like to dedicate it to Blaine. I heard this song on the radio the other day and it reminded me of you...reminded me of _us. _So...this one's for you."

He nodded to the band and the music began to play. Blaine smiled as Kurt looked at him and began to sing.

_I think that possibly, maybe I've fallen for you_

_Yes, there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you_

_I've seen the paths that your eyes wander down_

_I wanna come, too.._

_I think that possibly, maybe I've fallen for you._

_No one understands me quite like you do_

_through all of the shadowy corners of me..._

_I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much_

_All of the world I never knew..._

Kurt slowly walked over to Blaine, who was sitting in the front row of chairs. He took hold of his hands as he continued to sing.

_I think that possibly, maybe I've fallen for you_

_Yes, there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you_

_I've seen the waters that make your eyes shine_

_Now I'm shining, too_

_Because, oh, because I've fallen quite hard over you._

_If I didn't know you, I'd rather not know_

_If I couldn't have you, I'd rather be alone_

_I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much_

_All of the world I never knew..._

The song came to a close, and Kurt and Blaine were left smiling at each other, Blaine's hands still in Kurt's. The rest of the glee club applauded and Kurt took his seat next to Blaine, who just stared at him.

"What is it?" Kurt asked anxiously. "Did—Did you not like it?"

"Oh, no, God, no. I loved it. It's...you're..." Blaine stumbled to find the right words. "You're amazing." He brought their lips together, bringing a hand to Kurt's face.

"I love you so much," Kurt said when he pulled away, resting a hand on Blaine's wrist. Blaine couldn't help but smile as he replied, "I love you."

Neither of them were perfect. Like every other couple, they had their troubles. But it was moments like this that made it worth it; when, even though there were 12 other people in the room, it was just Blaine and Kurt, and they were all that mattered to each other.

Blaine had come to McKinley for a fresh start. A new beginning. He had been searching for acceptance, courage, and, most importantly, love.

And he had Kurt to thank for giving him all of that and more.


	9. Epilogue

It was a warm June night, and Kurt and Blaine lay side by side on their backs on a blanket in the Hummel's backyard. Their fingers were intertwined as they gazed up at the stars.

"When I was little, my mom used to show me the constellations. She knew them all," Kurt said, feeling like it was necessary to tell the story for some reason. "I've forgotten most of them by now, but I remember my mom and I sitting out on the patio until midnight trying to find them."

"Even after she died...I kept sitting out here, pretending like she was still beside me. My dad would have to pick me up to get me to come back inside."

Blaine smiled at the bittersweet story, still looking up at the sky. It was exactly two weeks until they left for New York with Rachel. The New Directions had come in fifth place at Nationals, which was good enough for them. Rachel had gotten accepted into NYADA. Kurt had not. It upset him for a while, and Rachel and him ignored each other for days. However, a week later, Kurt received a letter in the mail saying he was accepted to NYU. Blaine, who was attending the same college, had pulled some strings and filled out a late application for him. Kurt was going into fashion and Blaine was leaning towards theater.

Over spring break, Blaine and the Berry and Hummel-Hudson families had packed into a rented mini-van and took a road trip to New York, where they found an apartment to live in. It was crappy and needed a lot of work, but it was livable, and that was their only request.

The remaining two months flew by, and here they were. They still couldn't believe that they would be in New York City approximately three-hundred-and-twenty-four hours from now. (Rachel was counting down the hours and sent them hourly texts as a reminder. As if they'd forget.)

"I'm going to miss Ohio," Blaine said.

"Me, too," Kurt replied. "As much as I want to get out of this tiny town, it's where I grew up." He would miss his mom and dad and Finn and the rest of the glee club. They would be hundreds of miles away from each other, and while they may text or Skype or call, it won't be the same as when they would sit in the same room together every day.

"We could visit in the summer."

"Yeah, but...it'll be different."

While moving to New York City had its problems, there was a lot more to be happy about. Like the fact that gay marriage is legalized in New York. Kurt and Blaine could get married and start a family and do all the other things Blaine dreamed about.

They were both silent for a long time, just staring at the stars. Kurt was the one to speak, turning his face to look at Blaine.

"I'm so happy we're doing this. Together."

"I wouldn't do it without you."

That was when it hit Blaine that they were actually doing this. He was moving to New York City with Rachel and Kurt, his _boyfriend,_ something he had only dreamed of a year ago. And he couldn't have chosen better people to do it with. Maybe a year or two from now, Rachel would be on Broadway (and maybe he will be, too) and Kurt's fashion line would have taken the city by storm. He would be Blaine's date to all the red carpet events where every celebrity wore his designs.

Their careers will flourish and their names will be known around the world. They will prove everyone wrong. They'll get far and be successful. And they'll do it together.

_The End_

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who read, favorited, and reviewed this story! I really do appreciate you taking the time to read (and actually enjoy) what I write. I've noticed that I gained a few followers from this story, so I'd like to welcome all of you! I'm still working on reuploading my fics from my old account, so I still have one more story to upload. I'll probably post the first chapter tonight or tomorrow, if I remember to do it!**_  
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**Again, thank you so much for reading this story. I really enjoyed writing it and I'm glad that you like it!**


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